Childhood is a time of boundless wonder, where the playground becomes a stage for endless exploration. We build forms with our fingertips in the sand, move our bodies up and down the slide, and collect small treasures—pebbles, twigs—each object infused with the magic of discovery. The Ulsan Art Museum presents Shape and Shape, an interactive children's exhibition featuring sculptor Kwak Intan, whose work captures fleeting moments and landscapes through a unique sculptural language. This exhibition revisits the exhilarating world of childhood play, inviting young visitors to engage in the experience.

 Since the advent of modernism, sculpture has evolved beyond conventional forms and traditions, embracing new spatial and conceptual possibilities. Kwak Intan expands this discourse by introducing the notion of play into sculpture. His approach, which he calls "playful sculpture," invites children to touch, stack, transform, and interact with the works. In Shape and Shape, Kwak’s signature whimsical and dynamic sculptures fill the gallery, creating an almost surreal environment where imagination reigns. At the entrance, visitors are greeted by a towering 3.7-meter sculpture, Child Sculptor, which serves as a portal into a world where sculpture and play merge seamlessly.

Along the gallery walls, a collection of peculiar and fantastical sculptures—including Tyranno Brothers, The Rabbit that Became a Tiger, Fly Turtle, and Dinosaur Hand Holding Fruit—sparks curiosity and invites viewers into a storybook. At the heart of the exhibition, a sand playground takes center stage, where over 200 of Kwak’s small-scale “shape sculptures” are installed. Expressive emoji-like figures, playful animal forms, and abstract objects encourage children to construct their own sculptural narratives—an invitation to become sculptors themselves.

 The act of shaping forms with one’s hands and moving through space is a physical form of thinking. In this process, children dissolve the boundaries between art and play, weaving their own stories. Here, children embark on a journey through the world of sculpture, while adults find themselves transported back to the playgrounds of their own childhood. Shape and Shape rekindles the joy of play for both children and adults through art.

About the Artist: Kwak Intan (b. 1986)

Kwak Intan is a sculptor who pushes the boundaries of artistic expression through playful and interactive forms. Drawing from the uninhibited creativity of childhood, he approaches sculpture not as static objects but as vessels for imagination and emotion.

He envisions his sculptures as a passage through which countless ideas flow, a space where diverse forms converge in play, continually experimenting with ways to approach art as a form of play. Recently, he has expanded his focus on audience interaction, exploring how sculpture can transcend its static nature and become an experience-driven and sensory-engaging space.

Through his unique approach to recording time and landscape, as well as his experimental and organic methods, Kwak redefines sculpture as an ever-changing, sensory-driven medium. His practice highlights the ways in which materials can serve as conduits for imagination, offering a fresh perspective on how sculpture can be a dynamic and ever-changing presence.